The Hunger Games ~ Peeta's POV

Chapter 11

Ch. 11

Son of a biscuit, I just said it. To Caesar. To the audience. To all of Panem. But more importantly, to Katniss. What will she think of me after this? Desire? Confusion? Shock? Or... Nothing?

I'm so agitated by now that I've chewed my bottom lip raw, and I can feel the salty, metallic taste of blood on my tongue. I stare at my shiney black shoes, my face going red as a tomato.

Why did I listen to Haymitch? Why? It's won't even do us much good, I don't think. Not much. The audience knows I'm in love with Katniss. So what? Well, they know now, and this is probably the most interesting story with juicy details that the Capitol has been craving for years. I guess I'm giving them what they want to hear.

"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck," Caesar interrupts my thoughts. I hear the audience groan in discontent as they hear the tragic story that no matter what we do, we can never be together. Huh. The story of my life.

"It's not good." I shake my head sadly.

"Well, I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady," Caesar says. "She didn't know?"

I shake my head- again. "Not until now." My voice quivers a bit, but Caesar pretends not to notice.

"Wouldn't you love to pull her back out here and get a response?" The audience roars in answer. "Sadly, rules are rules, and Katniss Everdeen's time has been spent. Well, best of luck, Peeta Mellark, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours."

"Thank you," I murmur quietly, once the applause has died down, as I walk stiffly back to my seat.

I avoid looking Katniss in the eye until the thing's entirely over. But then she avoids me, and gets into a different elevator shaft that leads to our floor. I get there after her, and as soon as I step off the elevators, she charges for me, and pushes me. Hard. Usually, I could keep myself up on my own, but this blow was unexpected.

I topple over into an urn with cheesy looking flowers in it, and it breaks at the impact of my body. I sit there for a moment, startled by the sudden attack, when I notice the stinging sensation in my palms. I don't even need to glance at them to know that they are gushing blood.

"What was that for?" I snap furiously. I just confessed my love for her in front of the entire nation, and this is what I get for being brave? A blow to the chest? My self esteem chips off a little bit.

"You had no right! No right to go saying those things about me!" She yells at me, flailing her arms around angrily. Just because I love her doesn't mean that she's my favorite person on earth right now. Geez, really? What's so offensive about me saying that I'm in love with her? I don't get this girl. I really don't.

"What's going on?" Effie trills, on the verge of hysteria. "Did you fall?"

"After she shoved me," I grimace, and Effie and Cinna help me to my feet.

"Shoved him?" Haymitch glares at Katniss.

"This was your idea, wasn't it?" She laughs without humor. "Turning me into some kind of fool in front of the entire country?"

I may love her, but just because she's mad doesn't mean she can blow off her steam on Haymitch. I may not like him, but some way, somehow I know he's my friend. Sort of.

"It was my idea," I stand up for him. "Haymitch just helped me with it." I cringe as I pluck little shards of the urn out of my hand. More blood follows.

"Yes, Haymitch is very helpful. To you!"

"You are a fool," Haymitch says, putting emphasize on the are. "Do you think he hurt you? That boy just gave you something you could never achive on your own."